The Diagnosis of Reading in a Second or Foreign Language

Alderson, J. Charles; Haapakangas, Eeva-Leena; Huhta, Ari; Nieminen, Lea; Ullakonoja, Riikka

doi:10.4324/9780203071830

Cited by 45 publications

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“…The learners came from two different groups: Finnish‐speaking learners of English as an FL, and Russian‐speaking learners of Finnish as an L2. However, in this article we are concerned with the former group, whilst other publications have addressed the second group (for example, Alderson et al., ).…”

Section: The Dialuki Projectmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although the language testing literature frequently refers to diagnostic tests as identifying learners’ strengths and weaknesses, very few truly diagnostic tests exist (see Alderson et al., ). Diagnosis of FL learners’ strengths and weaknesses seems to be left up to the classroom teacher, yet in contrast to L1 teachers, FL teachers receive little or no training in how to go about diagnosing such strengths and weaknesses, particularly in FL reading.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Characteristics of Weak and Strong Readers in a Foreign Language

Alderson

Huhta

Nieminen

2016

The Modern Language Journal

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This study investigated the cognitive (first language [L1] and foreign language [FL]), linguistic (L1 and FL), and motivational characteristics of weak FL readers in contrast to strong readers in 3 groups of L1 Finnish-speaking learners of English, aged 10, 14, and 17 years. This cross-sectional study covered a wide range of potential correlates, and therefore predictors, of FL reading based on previous research on reading in first, second (L2), and foreign languages. The weakest and strongest FL readers (1 standard deviation below or above the mean reading score) in each age group were selected for the comparisons reported in this article. The FL (English) skills other than reading were found to be the clearest distinguishing feature between weak and strong FL readers. However, L1 and cognitive skills in L1 and FL, as well as certain dimensions of motivation to use and learn the FL, were also found to separate the 2 reading groups. The implications of the findings for 2 different hypotheses about the nature of FL reading-the Threshold Hypothesis and the Linguistic Coding Differences Hypothesis-are discussed, as well as the implications for the diagnosis of strengths and weaknesses in reading in an FL.Keywords: reading in a foreign language; weak and strong readers; language skills; cognitive skills; motivation; diagnostic assessment THE ABILITY TO READ IN A FOREIGN language (FL; language not spoken in a learner's environment) is increasingly important in the modern globalised world, yet little is known about how the ability to read in an FL develops, what might underlie weaknesses in FL reading, and how to diagnose such weaknesses. This is all

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Section: The Dialuki Projectmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Characteristics of Weak and Strong Readers in a Foreign Language

Alderson

Huhta

Nieminen

2016

The Modern Language Journal

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“…Lukemisen perustekniikan sujuvuutta ja tarkkuutta mittaavia tehtäviä käytetään pääasiallisesti lukivaikeuksien tapaisten kielellisten ongelmien diagnosoinnissa. Viimeaikaiset tutkimukset sekä suomalaisilla englannin oppijoilla että venäläisestä perhetaustasta tulevilla suomi toisena -kielenä oppijoilla kuitenkin osoittavat, että teknistä lukutaitoa mittaavilla testeillä on yhteyttä vieraan ja toisen kielen tekstin ymmärtämiseen (Alderson, Haapakangas, Huhta, Nieminen & Ullakonoja 2015).…”

Section: Päätelmätunclassified

Aikuisten maahanmuuttajien kotoutumiskoulutuksen tulosten ennustaminen lähtötason arviointien perusteella

Huhta¹,

Tammelin-Laine²,

Hirvelä³

et al. 2017

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Artikkelissa selvitetään aikuisten maahanmuuttajien kotoutumiskoulutuksessa saavuttamaa suomen kielen taitoa ja sitä, ennustaako koulutuksen alussa tehtävä lähtötason arviointi saavutettua kielitaitoa. Tutkimukseen osallistuneet maahanmuuttajat (N = 286) osallistuivat lähtötason arviointiin Testipisteessä. Sen jälkeen he suorittivat kotoutumiskoulutuksen opinnot peruspolun tai hitaan opintopolun mukaisesti muutamassa pääkaupunkiseudun oppilaitoksessa. Testipisteen mallin mukaisessa lähtötason arvioinnissa selvitetään maahanmuuttajan suomen kielen taitoa ja opiskeluvalmiuksia testeillä ja taustatietoja keräämällä. Niiden pohjalta maahanmuuttaja ohjataan sopivimmalle opintopolulle ja kielitaitomoduuliin. Havaitsimme, että vain osa maahanmuuttajista saavuttaa kotoutumiskoulutuksen tavoitteen, B1.1-tason kielitaidon kaikilla osa-alueilla. Puhumisessa 60 prosenttia peruspolun opiskelijoista ja vajaat 20 prosenttia hitaan polun opiskelijoista yltää tavoitetasolle. Valtaosa saavuttaa A2.2-tason. Ikä, sukupuoli, matematiikan osaaminen ja kielitaidon osa-alueen mukaan muut opiskeluvalmiuksia mittaavat testit ennustavat koulutuksessa saavutettua kielitaitoa. Tulokset viittaavat vahvasti siihen, että huomattava osa ei saavuta virallista kielitaitotavoitetta. Tarkempi kuva saavutuseroista ja niiden syistä edellyttää tutkimusta, jossa tieto kurssien sisällöistä ja työtavoista, opiskelijoiden työelämäharjoittelusta ja vapaa-ajan kielenkäytöstä yhdistyy oppimistulosten analyysiin.

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“…Parents have been found to be highly supportive of language learning (Csizér et al 2010;Lamb 2012); yet Bartram (2006) reported that the amount of parental encouragement varies from context to context. In China, the influence of parents on learning English has been found to be mild (Kyriacou and Zhu 2008;Lamb 2012) and limited to goals and attitudes (Gardner et al 1999;Kormos et al 2011) rather than language achievement (Alderson et al 2015). Similarly to parents, peers' influence is rather limited, although Kyriacou and Zhu (2008) noted that peers differ in that respect, with some of them having a remarkably positive effect on language learning.…”

Section: Previous Research On Language Learning Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Finland the data were collected during the DIALUKI project (see e.g. Alderson et al 2015). The questionnaire was administered via an on-line tool (Webropol) in students' free-time, a paper version was made available for those unwilling or unable to fill in the on-line questionnaire but nobody opted for that.…”

Section: The Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polish and Finnish teenagers’ motivation to learn English: The role of context

Iwaniec

Ullakonoja

2016

European Journal of Applied Linguistics

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Language learning motivation has been investigated in a number of contexts (Dörnyei and Ushioda 2009). However, there has been only one attempt (Taguchi et al. 2009) at a systematic comparison of models of motivation to learn English by students from different countries. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of context by comparing motivational characteristics and SEM (Structural Equation Modelling) models of language learning motivation of 15-16 year-old students from Finland and Poland. The data from both countries was collected using the same motivational questionnaire with a total of 351 students completing it. A number of differences were identified between the two contexts. Finnish learners scored significantly higher on scales of the ideal L2, intrinsic motivation, knowledge orientation, motivated behaviour and peer pressure, whereas Polish learners reported higher levels of international orientation and parental encouragement. The comparison of models of language learning motivation shows differences in the role of parents and peers, endorsement of goals between the two cohorts. Finally, we discuss the potential reasons behind the differences in motivation between the two contexts and conclude that contexts not only affect motivational characteristics but also the structure of language learning motivation.

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The Diagnosis of Reading in a Second or Foreign Language

Cited by 45 publications

References 0 publications

Characteristics of Weak and Strong Readers in a Foreign Language

Characteristics of Weak and Strong Readers in a Foreign Language

Aikuisten maahanmuuttajien kotoutumiskoulutuksen tulosten ennustaminen lähtötason arviointien perusteella

Polish and Finnish teenagers’ motivation to learn English: The role of context

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